We’ve written about ways to improve yields in other blog posts and we will add to that information here. This topic is important to you and that’s why it is important to us.
As with animals, some environmental factors cause a stress response in plants. However, unlike humans and animals, plants are not mobile, they are tied to one location and are not able to “leave” and avoid the environmental stress.
As a result, plants have developed different mechanisms to help them cope with environmental stresses. One of those mechanisms is the ability to “identify” the conditions of the environment around them. For example, when a plant faces drought conditions, cellular membranes are equipped with proteins (called CAR proteins) that identify the drought and signal to the rest of the plant.
The plant response is to close the holes in the leaves and retain water, however when water is plentiful, the proteins signal to the plant to keep the holes open and promote regular function. In a previous post we also mentioned the role of plant hormones; Auxins, Gibberellins, Cytokinins, and Abscisic acid in plant growth and function.
Understanding the physiological interactions of plant hormones as well as the effect that stress has on plants allows scientists to develop better testing systems and of course, improved treatment methods. This is yet another reason that custom fertilizer and the use of our protocol systems can be beneficial for growers.
Using tested technology, crop health experts are able to determine the type and level of stress the plant is under and develop a treatment regimen that will help the plant get back to normal operations.
If you want to know more about how science and technological advancement can help enhance crop yields, contact us – we’d love to chat! If you liked this post, please share it.